Flame Specialist Loadout option

[Hycinth]

Summary (a quick, 2-3 sentence summary):
A new specialist loadout option that would contain:

• A backpack phoron tank
  
  A flameproof exosuit (armor) and helmet that would be less effective against bullets and melee than standard armor, but, you know, immune to fire.
  
  Two Incendiary Grenades
  
  If the M240 cannot be directly connected to the backpack tank:
  • A belt able to hold several M240 fuel canisters
    Four M240 fuel canisters

Benefits (How this will benefit the server and game as a whole): As you know, the flamers are sort of looked down on by most people except for clearing weeds. The damage on the flamer is... disappointing, to say the least, unless a mob is knocked down. Since Xenos don't have paincrit, they rarely tend to be, you know, knocked down.

This doesn't aim to boost fire damage, make the flamer better at dealing damage, or anything like that. It simply aims to make the flamer better at what it currently does well: Clear vegetation (The original purpose of the flamethrower, besides clearing out confined spaces, which isn't very possible to simulate given how they work on the colonial marines server).

It would allow specialists to quickly and effectively (but not without danger to chucklefuck marines) clear out weeds, especially while advancing on a nest, while implementing direct tradeoff in effective squad firepower versus aliens due to the lack of SADAR/GL/Sniper.

The backpack tank would allow for more fire than the standard three partially filled fuel canisters specialists are given, or even three full ones, allowing for more liberal use of the flamethrower to clear the area.

Details (Description of how you think this would work, the benefits, etc):

The backpack tank would be either directly attached to the flamer (see implementation) or act as a phoron canister with which to fill the current M240 fuel tanks. The actual pressure in the tank would have to be modified as per balance, etc, etc.

The armor and helmet would both be fireproof and lightly armored (protection from .45/9mm, not so much the 10mm or 12ga) and would protect from one hugger. They would also slow the wearer down, as it's a massive pile of flame resistant fabric, insulation and metal plates, not to mention how heavy the backpack tank would be.

The armor would also only be able to mount oxygen tanks/pistols rather than full sized weaponry.

If possible, when hit in the chest by bullets (from the rear, if codeable) there would be a ~20% chance of the backpack tank rupturing, creating a large fireball in the area around the wearer/tank.

Implementation (Optional, if you have an idea how to implement it):

As far as implementation, perhaps you could use the attached sprayer code from the water/chem backpack tanks, meaning you pop out the flamer from a mount on the tank, and it then dispenses from the tank itself, otherwise simply give the tank the same properties as a phoron canister, but make it wearable.

[coroneljones]

Could be interesting

The marines do have Flame resistant armor+Flamer loadouts according to AvP evolution,or were they combat synths,cant remember

And we would see the flamer as a primary spec weapon instead of a backup/something to give to your squad standards

Also,i require more flammenwerfer
It werfs flammen

[Hycinth]

Your poor German makes me sad, and yes, the Weyland-Yutani commandos had flamethrower suits.

[coroneljones]

I actually ment this

But anything works

[LordLoko]

Your poor German makes me sad, and yes, the Weyland-Yutani commandos had flamethrower suits.

That's not an flametrhower suit, that's an apesuit, designed to be an anti-xenomorph gear. The helmet is designed to resist facehuggers and the suit itself is made to be stop xeno slashing.

[LiquidNightfury]

+1 make these flamers great again

[Davidchan]

I've often been curious if it would be possible to modifty a flamethrower to draw from a welding backpack. THOSE would be hilarous, if a somewhat bulky way to make flamethrowers a bit more prominent. It goes without saying that a welding fuel flamethrower would need to be somewhat less effective than a phoron/plasma (why do we use bayterms?) either less range/damage or both. Also a 'wide' spread flamethrower option that does a 3 tile wide burst would be cool, at the cost of more fuel being used at a less than effecient rate (I.E. a 3x5 shot should cost more than 3.5 or 4 times the fuel as the standard 1x5)

Often wondered if Incendiary mines would be possible. Make them 5x5 (remove the corner tiles to make it more circular maybe?) bursts of flame that goes out after a few seconds but would be dangerous to marines if they were caught in the blast.

[monkeysfist101]

I can see this becoming an addition to the ERT, but I'd rather not see it as part of the main group. Way too much friendly fire.

[LordLoko]

I've often been curious if it would be possible to modifty a flamethrower to draw from a welding backpack. THOSE would be hilarous, if a somewhat bulky way to make flamethrowers a bit more prominent. It goes without saying that a welding fuel flamethrower would need to be somewhat less effective than a phoron/plasma (why do we use bayterms?) either less range/damage or both. Also a 'wide' spread flamethrower option that does a 3 tile wide burst would be cool, at the cost of more fuel being used at a less than effecient rate (I.E. a 3x5 shot should cost more than 3.5 or 4 times the fuel as the standard 1x5)

Tg has a "waterpump" or something luke that. It's a water gun that you carry in a water backpack and shoot water to clean stuff. The cool part is that it slides on backpack, so it can go in and out.

[Davidchan]

Yeah, Chemical tanks are a thing but I'm unsure how easy it would be to convert them into flamethrowers unless we add Napalm or something to them. I've used them on baychem before to mass distribute Doctor's Delight during emergencies, but aside from that they are mostly a Janitor/Botanist/Trouble making clown item to clean lots of floors, water plants or spread water/space lube everywhere.

[Arachnidnexus]

Not a big fan of making it a specialist only loadout option considering this is going to benefit 4 people at most per round.

[SkyeAuroline]

I'd actually like to see this for engineers, personally. Lorewise to help them clear jungles to work in, gameplay-wise to give them a reason to ever leave the FOB. that said, if it goes to specialists instead, I can't complain. +1

[Hycinth]

Not a big fan of making it a specialist only loadout option considering this is going to benefit 4 people at most per round.

The current flamers only benefit four people per round, and they're gimped on ammo. This way would allow for the easy, quick clearing of large swathes of weeds, perfect for an assault force to prevent encircling or flanking by ayylmaos. Yes, the engineers should be the ones with the flamers, but they have enough to carry.


I would like to see fire cones, expanded damage and mechanics for the flamer, but that's in the future.

[Arachnidnexus]

The current flamers only benefit four people per round, and they're gimped on ammo. This way would allow for the easy, quick clearing of large swathes of weeds, perfect for an assault force to prevent encircling or flanking by ayylmaos. Yes, the engineers should be the ones with the flamers, but they have enough to carry.

Why not have incinerators be available from the weapon vendor for a coin and have marines start off with like a quarter coin piece that they can combine? That way it gives standards an incentive to talk to others in their squad instead of having another specialist loadout.

[Davidchan]

Why not have incinerators be available from the weapon vendor for a coin and have marines start off with like a quarter coin piece that they can combine? That way it gives standards an incentive to talk to others in their squad instead of having another specialist loadout.

I'd rather see Incinerators made an Engineer weapon, not a Specialist. Put them in the vendor or add a rack with six tanks and 2 flamers for them, they are the only Marines with access to a Phoron canister anyway to pressurize them, and Maint Techs are such a rare and reclusive breed you can't count on one being around and willing to do it for you.

Requisitions can order a crate, although it comes with 3 incinerators and 3 canisters, it's not something they seem to eager to spend points on.

[Hycinth]

Because they still run into the issue of being gimped on ammo. The specialist loadout fixes the lack of ammo problem. The only time I have been fine on flamer ammo was a single round on prison in which we looted two dispensers and I was carrying 20 tanks, clearing weeds like a pro.

And yes, I would LOVE to see engineer flamethrowers, unless the damage is upped at which point I'd rather they had access to the current damage models, and the specialists with "Inferno Sprayers" or something to that effect, with upgraded damage.

However, as it stands, this is about a specialist loadout for the flamer. Not about changes to the flamethrower's assigned class. Keep it on topic before this gets locked, please.

[SecretStamos (Joshuu)]

Engineers already have enough on their hands. They have Sentry Guns, C4, Incendiary grenades, and all their tools. I think they're already pretty packed with stuff.

I'd could see the flamethrower potentially returning to the standard again in low amounts. Maybe one or two per squad?

[SkyeAuroline]

Engineers already have enough on their hands. They have Sentry Guns, C4, Incendiary grenades, and all their tools. I think they're already pretty packed with stuff.

I'd could see the flamethrower potentially returning to the standard again in low amounts. Maybe one or two per squad?

I'm not feeling it. Too easy for it to get into the hands of a trash marine who can't use it. Engineers and specs have a slightly higher average level of competency at least.

Plus, it's already a spec weapon.

[stobarico]

+1 Because flames, and because it sounds really nice

[Anewbe]

I'd really prefer flamethrower marine to be a dedicated slot, rather than something an SPC might maybe toss out, or something an engineer would use, because they've already got stuff to do... But that might just be me.

[Arachnidnexus]

-1 Specialists already have a nice weapon variety and this only change is mostly for the benefit of just four players per round. I really don't want to see specialists turned into the "hero" role class that has the perfect gear to tackle any job solo to be honest.

[Hycinth]

This loadout would be... pretty much worthless solo, honestly. The Flamer doesn't do nearly enough damage to down anything but t1, and that's at absurd pressure.

[Arachnidnexus]

More just in terms of having the specialist be the focal point of the squad with everyone else relegated to supporting them, to be honest. Specialists in my opinion should be a support option for the squad but it seems that more often they go what they want and then bitch at their team/cargo/command for not catering to them.

[Sebro]

What about just a dedicated role for the flamethrower?

Call it "flamer" or "Guy who throws the flames."

[SkyeAuroline]

What about just a dedicated role for the flamethrower?

Call it "flamer" or "Guy who throws the flames."

Could always get the underbarrel flame weapons that at least one of the games had. I think that's in the works, but slowly. Personally, I'd just be happy with the existing flame kit being upgraded.